UOC protests against Phanar’s service on its canonical ground

The service of the Exarchs of the Constantinople Patriarchate at St. Andrew’s Church in Kiev

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church does not recognize the extension of Constantinople’s jurisdiction in Ukraine. This is reported in the UOC DECR comments on the fact of the ministry of the bishop of the Constantinople Patriarchate at St. Andrew’s Church.

“Today, on December 13, 2018, the representative of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Bishop Hilarion (Rudnik) of Edmonton and the Western Eparchy, who was non-canonically appointed “Exarch” in Ukraine by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, performed a liturgy at St. Andrew’s Church in Kiev. The service was held without the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine as the only canonical bishop of the city of Kiev,” the document says.

The UOC reminded that they did not recognize the extension of the jurisdiction of the Constantinople Patriarchate in Ukraine, which is confirmed by the Decree of the UOC Council of Bishops of 13.11.2018, as well as by the decision of the Holy Synod of the UOC of 07.12.2018 (journal №41): Thus, the mentioned actions of the Patriarch of Constantinople in general and the actions of Bishop Hilarion in particular should be regarded as anticanonical and such that lead to the deepening of the conflict .

“In addition, St. Andrew’s Church does not belong to the territory of the embassy of any country, that is, it is not an embassy temple to which the principle of extraterritoriality could be applied. Also, this temple has never historically belonged to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Even despite the fact that the church belongs to the state, its use for liturgical purposes by representatives of other Local Orthodox Churches should be regulated by church rules, and not only by agreements with the government,” the UOC believes.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has condemned a liturgy performed by a Constantinople representative at the St. Andrew's Church in Kiev.

"Any religious service or any other activity by any archbishop on the canonical grounds of another eparchy without the local bishop's permission is prohibited by a number of canonical rules. His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry is the canonical bishop of the city of Kiev and possesses the full authority of the bishop’s power. Therefore, even if we take the point of view of the Constantinople Patriarchate that Ukraine is now allegedly its canonical territory, then His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev remains and Patriarch Bartholomew himself recognizes him as canonical Metropolitan of Kiev. Consequently, even following the canonical logic of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the unauthorized liturgy in Kiev,  performed by the hierarch of this Church, should be qualified as an unequivocal violation of the canons and order of church life," the UOC Department for External Church Relations stresses.

Earlier on Thursday Patriarch Bartholomew's representative Bishop Hilarion (Rudnik) performed a service commemorating St. Andrew the Apostle at St. Andrew's Church recently handed over to Constantinople by Ukrainian authorities.

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